Sewage spills reported in River Hills, Tega Cay

Carolina Water Service and Tega Cay Water Service last week reported wastewater spills, the latest in a string of spills to reach Lake Wylie.

Carolina Water on March 11 warned River Hills Plantation residents to “avoid contact with the lake until further notice,” following a wastewater spill that reached the lake.

Carolina Water sent a phone message to residents Tuesday saying the state health department was notified and that no swimming signs were posted.

The spill resulted from a sewer main blockage. A manhole behind 8 Hickory Ridge Court released what the utility estimates at less than 3,000 gallons of wastewater. Impacted areas include Oak Leaf, Catawba Ridge and Pine Point roads, Fairway Ridge, Timberidge Drive, Hickory Ridge Court and Hickory Nut Lane.

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According to a public notice from the utility, the spill was from 12:30 to 6 p.m. March 11. The spill “drained into a wet weather creek that empties into Lake Wylie,” according to the notice. Lime was applied to sanitize the impacted area.

Also on March 11, Tega Cay Water Service reported a spill of less than 500 gallons at 9066 Tulagi Court in Tega Cay. Tom Oakley with parent company Utilities Inc. said an obstruction in the sewer main caused the overflow that reached the lake.

A no swim advisory was put in place.

Linda Stevenson, with the Tega Cay Water Citizen Advisory Council, last week email blasted a string of reported Tega Cay spills totaling more than 100,000 gallons since Jan. 1. With each spill her group asks neighbors to petition legislators and environmental groups to get rid of Tega Cay Water.

While the River Hills spill is the first one reported by Carolina Water Service in recent months, Stevenson wants to draw a parallel.

“Carolina Water and Tega Cay Water are owned by the same company, Utilities Inc.,” she said.

Tega Cay Water Service is the subject of a state consent order for improvements to stop the spills and an Environmental Protection Agency mandate to follow the state order. In recent weeks the utility and Tega Cay elected officials have been negotiating a sale of the system to the city.

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